Spoon Sports Rear Strut Tower Bar Installed!
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DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
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Spoon Sports Rear Strut Tower Bar Installed!
I finally got my Spoon Sports RSTB from Import Development this Friday. I paid $145 shipped for it and this is the best price that you'll find anywhere. Another dude ordered this RSTB from Import Development after I told everyone about it and he received his way before I did. Kinda sucks.
Anyway, I got the RSTB and it was packed up very nice. Genuine Spoon Sports stuff. Logo's, box, instructions, everything. It's the real deal. I opened it up and one part of the aluminum bar was a little scratched up. It had this protective covering on it and it was in a plastic bag. It still got dinged up though.
I wanted to install it on Sat. with my g/f, but the 14mm socket I had was too shallow. I went out to Lowe's and bought a deep 14mm 12 point (6 will work too) socket. I tried it and it worked well.
You also need an allan wrench for the job.
Here's a small DIY:
1. Pull back the carpetting.
2. Unbolt the two bolts on each side.
3. Take the left and right marking stickers off of the supports with some Goof Off.
4. Attach the supports to the two studs on each side and thread on the nuts, but only a bit.
5. Attach the aluminum bar to the supports and tighten the allen bolts down all the way lightly.
6. Bolt down the nuts a little bit at a time alternating sides. Torque to 33 foot pounds.
I field tested it a little while ago and it works! I upgraded to the Progress rear sway bar a while back and I had all of these extra creeks and squeeks coming from the back. My suspicion was that since the lower part of the chassis had been stiffened, the upper part was flexing more than it used to. I also read on ClubRSX.com that RSTB's fixed this sort of problem. It did too.
The creeks and squeeks are almost entirely gone now. Maybe it's the rear sway bar bushings that I'm hearing now 'cause the creeks are gone. I need to drive around some more to really get a feel for how much of an improvement it is, but it's defineately better. The rear is stiffer and firmly planted in the corners. I can definately feel the difference.
All in all I say it's worth it. You get a real JDM part (Spoon Sports) for $145 shipped, so if you're sporting a Spoon Sports sticker there's no excuse not to get a Spoon Sports part anymore! JDM Baybee! I'm a proud owner of a Spoon Sports product.
Anyway, I got the RSTB and it was packed up very nice. Genuine Spoon Sports stuff. Logo's, box, instructions, everything. It's the real deal. I opened it up and one part of the aluminum bar was a little scratched up. It had this protective covering on it and it was in a plastic bag. It still got dinged up though.
I wanted to install it on Sat. with my g/f, but the 14mm socket I had was too shallow. I went out to Lowe's and bought a deep 14mm 12 point (6 will work too) socket. I tried it and it worked well.
You also need an allan wrench for the job.Here's a small DIY:
1. Pull back the carpetting.
2. Unbolt the two bolts on each side.
3. Take the left and right marking stickers off of the supports with some Goof Off.
4. Attach the supports to the two studs on each side and thread on the nuts, but only a bit.
5. Attach the aluminum bar to the supports and tighten the allen bolts down all the way lightly.
6. Bolt down the nuts a little bit at a time alternating sides. Torque to 33 foot pounds.
I field tested it a little while ago and it works! I upgraded to the Progress rear sway bar a while back and I had all of these extra creeks and squeeks coming from the back. My suspicion was that since the lower part of the chassis had been stiffened, the upper part was flexing more than it used to. I also read on ClubRSX.com that RSTB's fixed this sort of problem. It did too.
The creeks and squeeks are almost entirely gone now. Maybe it's the rear sway bar bushings that I'm hearing now 'cause the creeks are gone. I need to drive around some more to really get a feel for how much of an improvement it is, but it's defineately better. The rear is stiffer and firmly planted in the corners. I can definately feel the difference.
All in all I say it's worth it. You get a real JDM part (Spoon Sports) for $145 shipped, so if you're sporting a Spoon Sports sticker there's no excuse not to get a Spoon Sports part anymore! JDM Baybee! I'm a proud owner of a Spoon Sports product.
I also just installed this bar, but on an 2001 LX sedan. I had to enlongate the bracket holes in order to get it to fit. About 15 minutes with a round file did the trick. The bar is of good quality, and really tightens up the rear.
its actually common to have to elongate the hole just slightly. some RSX guys had to to the same, as did we on the swap car when installing it a while ago. yours fit wit no mods Grey?
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DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Yep, no mods. Although... The bar should have been an 1/8" longer for it to fit perfectly when the nuts were holding the brackets down slightly. I didn't believe that the nuts had to be on really loose for it to fit, but then I tried something. I loosened them up all the way so that they were on there with only a thread or two. Then I tilted the brackets down (thereby making the distance betwean the holes smaller). Then the bar fit in perfectly. Then I tightened everything down and as I tightened it down the bar got stiffer and stiffer. I can just touch it now and it pings like a tuning fork. It's super stiff!
I have a feeling that you guys didn't have to do what you did to get that bar to fit. ??? How tight are your bars now? If you hit it with your nuckles what's it sound like?
I have a feeling that you guys didn't have to do what you did to get that bar to fit. ??? How tight are your bars now? If you hit it with your nuckles what's it sound like?
I removed only enough bracket material to get the nuts threaded on. My brackets' starting position was them angling in toward the center. Took every bit of the recommended torque on the fasteners to get the outermost portion of the brackets to sit flush. Yea, I'd say there's some serious tension there. I installed the Progress 22mm rear sway in the same day, and there are absolutely no creeks or flexing noises coming from the rear.
I also recommend sourcing this bar from Import Development. Randy, the owner, went out of his way to get it to me quickly(less than a week), and answered my emails quickly. He stated that he can get other products as well, so you might add him to the vendors you check with for your next purchases.
I also recommend sourcing this bar from Import Development. Randy, the owner, went out of his way to get it to me quickly(less than a week), and answered my emails quickly. He stated that he can get other products as well, so you might add him to the vendors you check with for your next purchases.
Thread Starter
DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Well, pretty much everything suspension related. Strut bars (almost all of them). Sway bars (all of them). End links (for sway bars). Springs. Struts. Coilovers. Tie bars. Camber kits. Cross braces. A ton.
Originally posted by Grey
Yep, no mods. Although... The bar should have been an 1/8" longer for it to fit perfectly when the nuts were holding the brackets down slightly. I didn't believe that the nuts had to be on really loose for it to fit, but then I tried something. I loosened them up all the way so that they were on there with only a thread or two. Then I tilted the brackets down (thereby making the distance betwean the holes smaller). Then the bar fit in perfectly. Then I tightened everything down and as I tightened it down the bar got stiffer and stiffer. I can just touch it now and it pings like a tuning fork. It's super stiff!
I have a feeling that you guys didn't have to do what you did to get that bar to fit. ??? How tight are your bars now? If you hit it with your nuckles what's it sound like?
Yep, no mods. Although... The bar should have been an 1/8" longer for it to fit perfectly when the nuts were holding the brackets down slightly. I didn't believe that the nuts had to be on really loose for it to fit, but then I tried something. I loosened them up all the way so that they were on there with only a thread or two. Then I tilted the brackets down (thereby making the distance betwean the holes smaller). Then the bar fit in perfectly. Then I tightened everything down and as I tightened it down the bar got stiffer and stiffer. I can just touch it now and it pings like a tuning fork. It's super stiff!
I have a feeling that you guys didn't have to do what you did to get that bar to fit. ??? How tight are your bars now? If you hit it with your nuckles what's it sound like?
on another note, i have my spoon front goin on my car soon. 
Thread Starter
DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Eh, I thought that the earlier pics posted by someone or other of the Spoon Sports RSTB (was that you MugenRacerX?) were fine. If you guys really want though, then I can take some today and post them up in this biatch.
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From: Washington DC
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Minor question... I was looking in my trunk at this... it looks like the liner of the trunk has to come off part of the way to get in there... how does one get it off?
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DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 See the first pic? I pulled it up to take that pic. Just pull it and see where it comes loose. Then just pull it some more. Don't force it though. It's held on somehow in certain places.
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DIY King
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Rep Power: 419 Oh yeah, the black bracket is also made out of steel, not aluminum. The DC Sports front strut bar has aluminum ones for example. Those actually crack at the seems from the stress that the bar is under. This bar is a good design. Should last me forever. I think I'll actually buy the front strut bar from Spoon Sports for the RSX now. That way I'll have a matching set. I like having matching parts.
***** the Mugen. Too damned expensive. Bleh.
***** the Mugen. Too damned expensive. Bleh.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 Originally posted by Grey
Oh yeah, the black bracket is also made out of steel, not aluminum. The DC Sports front strut bar has aluminum ones for example. Those actually crack at the seems from the stress that the bar is under. This bar is a good design. Should last me forever. I think I'll actually buy the front strut bar from Spoon Sports for the RSX now. That way I'll have a matching set. I like having matching parts.
***** the Mugen. Too damned expensive. Bleh.
Oh yeah, the black bracket is also made out of steel, not aluminum. The DC Sports front strut bar has aluminum ones for example. Those actually crack at the seems from the stress that the bar is under. This bar is a good design. Should last me forever. I think I'll actually buy the front strut bar from Spoon Sports for the RSX now. That way I'll have a matching set. I like having matching parts.
***** the Mugen. Too damned expensive. Bleh.
But I do agree... $260 is a bit much for a strut bar.
Registered!!
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From: Zulu Alpha Tango Foxtrot
Rep Power: 312 Anyone have any problems
with import development? I ordered my rear strut bar one and a half weeks ago, and received an email from Randy a few days later stating that he would have a tracking # soon. I have since emailed him twice and have had no response or update. Its really frustrating when you pay $145 for something and have NO CLUE about your order status. Anyone know if he has a phone #??
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DIY King
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From: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, US
Rep Power: 419 Boilermaker1: Yeah, I was referring to the front strut bar from Mugen. The jury is still out on whether the Mugen rear frame stiffening bar actually fits on our 7th gen civics or not... Not without some modification, that's for sure, but it might be possible to make it work.
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From: San Mateo, California, US
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by MugenRacerX
its actually common to have to elongate the hole just slightly. some RSX guys had to to the same, as did we on the swap car when installing it a while ago. yours fit wit no mods Grey?
its actually common to have to elongate the hole just slightly. some RSX guys had to to the same, as did we on the swap car when installing it a while ago. yours fit wit no mods Grey?
Originally posted by ASWZero
I bet you your car was lowered before it was stiffened. The bars are made to fit perfectly with stock dimensions. And people do not believe in strut bars at all, even the cheap ones. My back is really whacked, but the shop fixing my car is keeping my car for an extra week b/c the frame needs to be adjusted. I love this body shop.
I bet you your car was lowered before it was stiffened. The bars are made to fit perfectly with stock dimensions. And people do not believe in strut bars at all, even the cheap ones. My back is really whacked, but the shop fixing my car is keeping my car for an extra week b/c the frame needs to be adjusted. I love this body shop.
oh well, still works
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